Tailless
by Foreststar of WindClan
Summary: Everybody always teased him, the tailless kit. So did I. He hated me more than anything. One night, he yowled his head off at me. Said I was supposed to protect him. I sneered and spat in his face, stalking off, leaving him sitting there. Since when did he deserve my help? Challenge for The One And Only NarwhalClan. Rated T just in case.
1. Rejected

**Here's my latest one-shot, for the forum The One And Only NarwhalClan.**

Smoothpaw trod towards the camp entrance, head hanging. Two other apprentices and I padded around him, shoving the tailless apprentice.

"Hey, Notail!" Rippaw sneered at Smoothpaw. "How's life with a tail?"

"Oh, wait," I interjected. "You don't have one!"

Smoothpaw glared at me. I sneered back, my tail held high.

"You just wait," Smoothpaw growled in that low, rumbling voice of his.

"Wait for what?" Shockpaw grunted. "For you to be retired early because of your lack of a tail?"

Rippaw and I snorted with laughter. "Good one, Shockpaw."

Smoothpaw twitched his ears and pressed forward into the camp, shutting us out. I dodged around him and blocked his way.

"Going somewhere, Notail?" I growled.

"Why should you care?" Smoothpaw retorted.

"Because I'm your brother," I meowed in an innocent voice.

Rage and disgust filled his eyes. "After all you put me through, all the teasing and taunting, you have the nerve to to call me your brother?" Smoothpaw spat. "After hating me and making my life miserable, you call yourself my brother?"

I cocked my head at him. Anger coursing through me at his words. I shoved it down. Smoothpaw, despite his lack of a tail, was quite a competent fighter for his state. Of course, I would always be able to defeat him. But verbal assaults were always best.

"What's wrong, little, cute Notail?" I asked in a honey-sweet voice dripping with scorn.

Shockpaw and Rippaw snorted with laughter, purrs rumbling in their throats. But they knew better than to take their eyes off Smoothpaw. As mentioned before, he was strong, fast, and a good fighter. He actually might beat one of them when going one-on-one. But when it was two-on-one, he stood no chance.

He glared at us, then without another word, stormed into the camp.

* * *

"Get up, Darkpaw," Smoothpaw spat in my ear. "I need to tell you something. In private."

I scowled and shoved him away, curling into a tighter ball.

"Up, up!" Smoothpaw hissed, stabbing me with his paw

With a groan, I pulled myself up, glaring at him.

"Follow me," Smoothpaw growled.

I considered ignoring him, but then realized that he would keep at it until I did as he asked. As annoying and disappointing as Smoothpaw was, he was definitely persistent.

"Fine," I muttered angrily.

He led me out to a sheltered clearing. Shafts of moonlight angled down through the trees as he turned to face me.

"What did you want?" I growled.

As Smoothpaw turned around, there was anger in his eyes. "How can you live with yourself?" He asked quietly.

"One day at a time," I met his gaze.

His volume rose. "How can you stand watching your brother be teased each and every day? How can you tease me yourself? I'm your brother! Your brother!" He yowled. "Brothers are supposed to protect each other! You're supported to protect me, but you don't! Instead, yo—"

I cut him off. "Listen here, Notail," I sneered, fury coursing through me. I enjoyed the look in his gaze. I enjoyed watching the fear dance in his eyes. "I never was supposed to protect you. Never. I've watched you. You bumble around, scaring away all the prey, invoking the clan's wrath. You pad around like you belong, but you don't. No tailless cat belongs in ThunderClan. You insult my family by simply being alive. Now you ask for my support? Since when did you deserve my help?"

I spat in his face and stalked off, leaving him sitting there, hurt, surprise, and rage dancing across his face.

As I left him far behind, he simply sat there. And when I had gone out of range, he murmured something.

"I knew I couldn't count on you. Yellowclaw, I ac-accept your offer."

**So, what do you think? It's short, I know, but there wasn't much for me to write. Who do you think Yellowclaw is? The answer is probably obvious, but whatever.**

**—Foreststar**


	2. Meeting

**So, people were asking for more of this, so I wrote more. It might not be as good, as I kinda ran out of ideas for it, but I'm planning a sequel to this.**

**_Chapter 2:_**

A thick black tabby tom slid out of the bushes.

A yellow-eyed tom turned to look at him. "Late again," he snapped.

"Sorry," the tabby muttered.

"Quiet!" A short, stocky brown-furred tom glared back at them. "Silverstar is speaking!"

Silverstar, a tall, thick-legged, silver she-cat, heard the disruption and turned her head to stare at them. The cats gathered followed her lead, and the three cats squirmed uncomfortably under the piercing gazes directed at them. Finally, Silverstar looked back to the middle of the cats.

"We must gain new warriors to bolster our strength," she meowed, her voice rich. "Many of you are slacking, and that is not acceptable. You must find cats worthy, and when you do, train them nightly. If you do not have a cat, search for one, and never take a break."

The crowd shifted guiltily and fearfully. Silverstar beckoned forward a small, white tom. "Come, Cloudtuft." The tom reluctantly rose to his paws and moved forward.

"I am about to demonstrate what will happen if you do not obey my orders," she announced. The white tom's eyes widened, and he began to back away. Too late. Her paw flashed, and a moment later he was collapsed on the ground, dark blood staining the ground. Slowly, he faded away. The cats were silent.

"Good riddance, I say," the stocky brown tom finally called out, breaking the silence that had fallen over them. "Cloudtuft was always a coward. His second death will make the Dark Forest all the more stronger and organized without that foolish weakling."

"Quiet, Fivespots!" Silverstar snapped, indicating that no more should speak. Her tone said that she agreed with Fivespots, though.

The yellow-eyed tom turned and inspected Fivespots warily. He examined the five white spots that ran across the tom's back in a perfect line.

"Stop it," the spotted brown tom growled.

The yellow-eyed tom turned back to Silverstar. "I expect you all to have apprentices by the next three moons," she snarled. She held their eyes for one more moment, then leaped down and shoved her way through the crowd to the yellow-eyed tom.

"How is your apprentice doing?" She eyed him.

"Good enough," he answered warily. "Twofur wears him out every day, but he's keeping up well with the training regimen I've set for him. He's certainly determined. But that's not all. In the middle of your speech, I heard him. He has accepted my offer of welcoming him into the Dark Forest, and teaching him how to kill. I think he will do nicely."

"Good. Keep it up." She left, then paused for a second and called over her shoulder, "If you fail, there will be no mercy."

"I expect none."


	3. Trained

**Chapter 3, coming up! Darkpaw this time. NOTE: In the middle of this chapter, he becomes a warrior.**

**_Chapter 3:_**

I stared at the tall, thick-legged silver she-cat standing in front of me. "Darkpaw," she meows. Her voice is rich. "I am Silverstar. I have come to offer you training to kill Smoothpaw."

I narrowed my eyes. "I can already kill him. I just haven't yet."

"Right," she snorted. My temper flared, but I kept it in check. A dangerous glint shows in her eyes. "Take it or leave it, Darkpaw. There will be no second chances."

I hesitated._ Is this right?_ A part of me asked. _To be learning how to kill?_

_It's alright_, another part of me soothed._ It will help defend ThunderClan._

I argued with myself for another few moments, then decided. I turned to Silverstar. "Take it."

* * *

She slunk around me, belly low, tail curled around her leg. Her ears are flattened, and she snarled at me.

"Fight, Darkstripe!" She growled.

I lunged forward in a feint. Silverstar saw right through my false attack and didn't flinch as I moved forward. I surged forward again, and this time she reacted, rearing up to meet me, but I drew back again. I focused my eyes on her left shoulder, and she gazed at me. When I attacked again, she protected her right shoulder, but if wasn't going for that. It wasn't a "look at one spot and attack another" move. I had actually intended to attacker her left shoulder.

I sank my teeth into her shoulder, and she grunted with pain. She rolled over in an attempt to squash me, and I release her shoulder, digging my claws into her pelt, and move with the roll, staying on top.

We struggled back and forth for several minutes, both unable to beat the other. Finally, Silverstar caught me off-guard, and pinned me.

She gazed down at me, an unreadable emotion in her eyes. She stepped off me, and I instantly rolled to my paws, crouched and ready to defend myself.

"Enough, Darkstripe," she ordered.

I blinked in confusion. It was barely half-way through the normal routine we did. "Yes, Silverstar?"

"I think you're ready for your first victim," she meowed, cocking her head.

"Who am I to kill?" I asked.

"You know who."

* * *

I felt sick as I woke up. Silverstar's words had set my stomach churning. I mean, I had been training for this chance for moons, but the thought of actually going through with it made my nauseous.

I rolled over and stared at Dustfur, the cat I've loved for a while. I should be happy for this chance to prove my loyalty to the Dark Forest, but instead I feel... Uncertain. If I go through with this, I'd ruin my chance at going to StarClan.

I hesitantly rose to my paws and picked my way through the cats, my eyes focused on Dustfur.

She is oblivious to me towering over her. Her breath comes in steadily. Her tail twitches peacefully. I raised my paw, claws unsheathed, ready to kill her.

My breath caught in my throat. I stumbled backwards, sheathing my claws. No. I can't. I'm not a killer.

_ Fool. _Silverstar's mew rang in my head, angry and full of bitterness. _Traitor._

She spat several more insulting things at me. Her words echoed inside my head.

_ I am a loyal ThunderClan warrior,_ I told her harshly. _The Dark Forest does not control me._

_You will pay for this._ Her last words to me haunted me for seasons to come. _Believe me, Darkstripe, you will pay._


	4. Betrayed

**Welcome to the last chapter of Tailless! Sorry for those who wanted more, but I'm really not into this, and I want to get it done so I can work on the sequel sometime, something I'm much more excited about.**

_**Chapter 4:**_

I marched through the camp, chin held high. The clan gave me annoyed looks as I rudely shoved past them, but I ignored them.

Yellowclaw has decided that I am ready to kill. I'm excited, but also angry that Shockfur is working with me. _I can handle myself!_

I glanced over at the warrior. The thick-furred ginger tom was sharing a sparrow with his brother Ripscar.

My orders were to kill Darkstripe. Shockfur was ordered by his Dark Forest mentor, Fivespots to kill Ripscar. By looking at the two cats, I guessed that it wouldn't be easy for him.

"Shockfur," I called, my tone harsh.

The warrior looked up, and his face twisted into contempt when he spotted me. "Smoothtail," he greeted coldly.

I glared at him, fury sparking within me. I reluctantly met his eyes, trying to send him a message. He must have gotten it, because he nodded.

"Ripscar," he turned to his brother, who was lazily dozing on the ground beside him. "There's something I want to show you."

I turned and padded over to Darkstripe. "Darkstripe," I growled, prodding him sharply. He angrily turned to me and snarled.

"What?"

"Something I want to show you," I provided no further details.

"Fine," he grunted.

He rose to his paws, and followed me.

I scented Shockfur and Ripscar on the wind, but said nothing. I led him to an old, dusty clearing well outside the clan borders. He stiffened when we passed the border, but didn't comment.

"This is what you wanted to show me?" Darkstripe's voice is incredulous.

Before I can answer, the bushes on my left rustled, and Shockfur and Ripscar appeared.

Ripscar looked annoyed that we were there, but Shockfur simply nodded at me. As one, we lunged for our brothers' throats.

Or so I thought. When I started to attack Darkstripe, Shockfur turned on me, and attempted to claw my flank. I reacted too quickly, though, and had already barreled into my brother.

My claws tore out clumps of fur. With a savage growl, I sank my teeth into his shoulder, and he screeched in pain, futilely trying to shove me off.

That's when I felt the fangs sinking into my back. I arched my back slightly from instinct, then whipped around to see Shockfur gripping my spine.

Darkstripe's claws slashed my face, and I jerked my attention back to him, doing my best to ignore the burning pain in my back.

I leaned down to kill him, but then claws yanked me off him. Ripscar had joined the fight.

I rolled to my paws, ready to defend myself. Just in time, as Darkstripe comes flying at me, claws flashing.

I dodged each of his strikes with ease. It's when Shockfur and Ripscar join in that it gets hard. More and more scratches appeared on me pelt, until they're finally able to pin me down.

I hissed up at them, but I know I'm beaten. Darkstripe's face, the one thing I've hated more than anything else in my life, is the last thing I see.

* * *

A mewling dark brown tabby kit lay next to his mother. A long, thick, black stripe ran down his back, turning sharply when it was near the tail. He was named Brokenkit. I watched with a careful eye.

_Maybe..._

Silverstar has ordered me to not do anything for the moment. I'm their secret weapon. I'm tempted, for just a moment, to go against her commands. Then Yellowclaw's face appeared again, and the thought was whisked away like a leaf in a summer breeze.

* * *

I watched as a dark brown tabby tom paced along the border.

"Stupid cats," he muttered. "Fools. They don't know anything. I can be of some help. I'm not just some cat that takes up space. Hmph. I wish some cat respected me and saw me for who I was."

An idea emerged. I felt a thrill of delight. He would be invaluable to the Dark Forest. We would have a spy within the enemy. StarClan wouldn't have a chance when we attack. The Dark Forest would destroy them. All I had to do was convince him to help the Dark Forest.

A quick glance around confirmed that no other cats were around. I rose from my spot, striding forward confidently.

The tom looked up at me. His hackles began to raise, but I shook my head, appearing friendly. At least I hope it's friendly.

"Relax," I called. "I just want to talk."


End file.
